a lower in alexandria, egypt where the british had a large fleet. and the two biggest but not quite finished battleships of the french fled to the car, west africa, and casablanca. but there was a very large flotilla on the algerian coast. there were a couple of battleships, some big cruisers, and the british came up with this idea. they called it operation catapult. on the morning of july 3, they were going to seize as many french ships as they possibly could buy agreement, hopefully, but if not, by force. and they figured, and portsmouth and plymouth, england, these ports are surrounded by british ships and british coastal batteries and that kind of thing. and in alexandria egypt kind of the same thing because there was a british port with the british origin big guns. there was only the french flotilla here, was a french naval base. and the british naval command, radioed of course in code to their fleet in gibraltar, and they said, this is what you have to do. you have to sail through the ninth of july 2 and 3rd, and show up at dawn. and give our